The role of advanced treatment in wastewater reclamation and reuse

The role of advanced wastewater treatment in wastewater reclamation and reu se is reviewed. Most of the current wastewater reclamation and reuse techno logies are essentially derived from those used in water and wastewater trea tment. However, opportunities for adopting technological innovations are mu ch greater for water reuse applications, because reclaimed water will have an economic value as an alternative water supply. Significant progress has been made in developing sound technical approaches to producing high qualit y and reliable water sources from reclaimed wastewater. This overview paper provides an assessment of technological advances in water reclamation and reuse, which has been dubbed as "the greatest challenge of the 21st century ." The paper was presented at the Opening Plenary Session of the IAWQ's Adv anced Wastewater Treatment, Recycling and Reuse Conference in Milan, Italy on September 14, 1998. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the IAWQ. All rights reserved.